The Case of the Hairpin Murders Part 2

First Published: February, 1999 by Dark Horse Comics

• Miyamoto Usagi

Inspector Ishida, Kabuki

I'm a sucker for a good detective story. My favorite series are Ed McBain's 87th Precinct books and Max Allan Collins' Nate Heller stories. If there's one thing these fine writers share, it's their attention to accuracy. McBain has got police procedures down pat, and Collins' eye for historical detail is dead on.

"The Hairpin Murders" is my attempt at this genre. Usagi takes a secondary role to Inspector Ishida. Ishida went through a lot of changes as this story was written. He, at first, was to have been the strong-jawed, assertive type (see last issue's cover), but as I actually started drawing the story, it seemed his visuals did not fit his personality - besides, I've already got a lot of big, silent types. I went in the other direction. In creating the "new" Ishida, I thought of the legendary Hawaiian detective Chang Apana, who was also the inspiration for Charlie Chan. It worked wonderfully, and no doubt Ishida will be back someday.

I would like to extend a special thank-you to Anya Hill for the great Usagi doll that she made and presented to me at the Mid-Ohio Con, the last stop of the 1998 Trilogy Tour. I was also a grateful recipient of the coveted Cookie Award at last summer's Comic Con International: San Diego (it was delicious)!

Kabuki was founded in 1600 in Kyoto by Okuni, a priestess of the Oyashiro Shrine in Izumo Province. Her performances were an outgrowth of the nembutsu odori (Dance of Prayer to Buddha) and the belief that the principles of Buddhism could be more easily understood through song and dance.

Like many entertainers in Kyoto, Okuni performed on the dry riverbed of the Kamo River. She soon teamed up with Sanza, a samurai musician, and together they created dramas and ribald comedies borrowed freely from the Noh and Kyogen theaters. Okuni would often dress in a man's costume and Sanza a woman's, to the approval of the audience. They soon put together a troupe and went into business for themselves. The needs of the shrine were forgotten, but that's showbiz.

In 1603 this type of entertainment was called "kabuki" (free life).

There were different schools of kabuki. The most notorious was the Yujo (pleasure-woman) Kabuki, in which prostitutes found another means to charm and attract customers. In 1629, all women, in any capacity, were banned from the stage by the Shogun's order, in an effort to protect public morals and limit interaction between the social classes. By banishing women, samurai were less likely to attend these shows, which were primarily frequented by commoners.

The onnagata (female impersonator) was created to offset the boredom of the all-male cast. I was very lax in historical accuracy in this story. "Narukami" was written well after Usagi's time, but I made reference to it because it is one of my favorites. Also, though Sanza appeared in women's attire, the first true onnagata is credited as being Murayama Sakon in 1649.

Sharon and I were in Japan in January last year as guests of Osamu Tezuka Productions. We made a trip to the Grand Kabuki Theatre in Tokyo, though we didn't have the time to actually see a performance. However, we were taken to Takarazuka outside Kyoto to visit the Tezuka museum - an incredible place - and see the Takarazuka Theatre, which is the antithesis of kabuki in that all the actors are women. We first saw a historical drama and then a Las Vegas-type show. It was amazing to see the women take on male roles - subtle nuances in posture and the swagger as they walked made them absolutely convincing.

For information on kabuki I referred to Kabuki Costume by Ruth M. Shaver, 1966, Charles E. Tuttle Co. of Rutland, Vermont, and Tokyo, Japan. This is a lavishly illustrated book and is indispensable not only for kabuki costumes but for all types of traditional clothing.

Inspector Ishida has lost his prime suspect, and Usagi accompanies him as he investigates a promising lead, only to have it snatched away from him. Fortunately, for Usagi, Inspector Ishida's ardent belief in justice for all (or for none) prevails as they solve the mystery, and seek to prevent the last murder.

With the mystery solved, and the paperwork nearly done, Usagi is the Inspector's guest to see the Unagiyama troupe's Kabuki play. And who is that pretty young woman who has those goons -- uh, hooded men after her...?

Last change: 19. May 2003

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Usagi Yojimbo, including all prominent characters featured in the stories and the distinctive likenesses thereof are trademarks of Stan Sakai and Usagi Studios. Usagi Yojimbo is a registered trademark of Stan Sakai. Names, characters, places, and incidents featured in this publication either are the product of the authors imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons (living or dead), events, institutions, or locales, without satiric content, is coincidental.